News

A shared understanding: South Wairarapa Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako

16 October 2017

What do students think about their own learning? And how about the thoughts of the wider community? Before making their plans, leaders of the South Wairarapa Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako made it their mission to find out.

Valuing all voices is considered vital to success within the South Wairarapa Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako.

So before writing its achievement challenges, South Wairarapa consulted more than 600 students through discussion groups and online surveys, plus local iwi, health groups, school whānau, boards of trustees and other community members. All groups appreciated the opportunity to be involved.

Seven key themes came from these discussions: hauora, connections, global knowledge and skill, creativity and innovation, values, beliefs and agency, community and aspirations.

The enthusiastic leaders of South Wairarapa are from 13 schools – one secondary and 12 primary – across small rural communities and towns in the region. From the start, their emphasis has been on collaborative tasks that create links between community and learning. Now, with everyone on board, they’re excited to get started.